A Right End From A Right Means

So says [Yahweh], Keep judgment and do justice; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.  Isaiah 56:1  NKJV

 

Do justice. In order to do justice one must know what justice means. Justice can be defined as ”ensuring that persons receive earned rewards and punishments fairly and squarely based on their behavior–with no favoritism.”

You will notice that justice has no room for compassion. The pragmatic liberal concoction known as “Social Justice” is based on a false definition of justice distorted by a faux compassion which robs justice of its just-ness (righteousness).  God forbids this!

Note: For compassion to be enacted, Justice & Mercy must Kiss and find a way to cover for the wrong done. If this was not the case, Jesus would not have died on the cross. His flesh pleaded for another way to satisfy the Justice of God, but there was no other way, so He yielded to only way and died for us because He loves us.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.  Proverbs 21:3  NKJV

We’ll look at a few more “justice and righteousness” scriptures later in this blog, but it seems clear that Yahweh demands righteous justice. So how does God’s demand for righteous justice fit in current thought and practice among liberals and conservatives? 

The left pragmatically demands just outcomes.  Liberals promote unequal, even unfair, treatment enforced by government to get what they see as “fair” results. Liberals believe it is acceptable to unjustly take wealth (jobs, property, benefits) from some and give it to others.

The right stresses just laws and procedures. Conservatives insist that individuals be allowed to own, use, and dispose of personal property as they see fit. Their property  should be safe from seizure by neighbors or by government. Conservatives allow for  unequal, and possibly unfair results if they are based on just treatment.

Scripture reveals God’s view of justice and that view is promoted by Conservatives who believe the Bible reveals God’s will to man for our good. The Conservative view has been the foundation of Western civilization for millennia but it is being undermined today by Liberals who distort and/or dismiss God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 16:20 says, “Justice, justice, shall you pursue.” 

When a word is repeated in scripture, there is a reason. Let’s look at it. The Hebrew word repeated in this passage is “Tzedek.” It translates as ”justice” and “righteousness.”

One could therefore have translated the verse as “Righteous justice shall you pursue.”  Or “Just righteousness shall you pursue.”

Either way, the command is given by God that justice must be accomplished in the right way or it is not, in fact,  justice.  A pragmatic person or governmental policy is without a moral foundation when attempting to accomplish a “right thing” in a “wrong way.” If a desired outcome is obtained through illegitimate means, the outcome as well as the means is illegitimate. Someone was robbed of justice to help someone else receive an unjust benefit. Two wrongs– not right!

To be more precise, the Bible condemns the social engineering methods used by the Liberals and Progressives today. The Bible forbids meeting the needs of the poor by confiscating the wealth of those who inherited, created or earned it. To achieve a righteous end you must employ only righteous means.

The Deuteronomy passage is not isolated. Leviticus 19:15 says, ”You shall not commit a perversion of justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the great; with righteousness (Tzedek) shall you judge your fellow.”

This passage covers both our natural temptation to favor the underdog, which feels like compassion, and our temptation to kowtow to the wealthy. Both are strictly forbidden as perversions of justice!

While the Bible in both Testaments demands that compassionate acts are required in dealing with widows, orphans and the poor; those acts are to be freely carried out by individuals and are never to be the result of coercion. Charity is to be freely given. Just justice is to be enforced by the courts. The courts may not enforce charity and deny justice to satisfy anyone’s faux compassion. The compassionate should show compassion from their own personal possessions and/or by their own personal labors. 

Since this is the clear teaching of scripture, why are so many divinity schools and pulpits filled with dogmatic liberal clergy who twist and contradict the Bible? This state of affairs is based on the anti-literalist interpretation of scripture in these institutions. They think that much of scripture is outdated and irrelevant and therefore does not speak to issues today; so, they alter, misinterpret or dismiss its teachings altogether.

This anti-literalism has led to pragmatism among liberals. And this pragmatism makes ”unjust justice” (legal favoritism) perfectly acceptable to them. In fact, they demand it and accuse conservatives of lacking compassion because conservatives believe in and practice ”just justice” and individual charity based on a literal interpretation of God’s Word.

In this era of Liberal Political Correctness, such topics are rarely discussed with openness and clarity. I trust this article will shed some light on the subject and God will open eyes to the truth that is clearly revealed in His Word for those whose eyes can see.

Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Amos 5:24 NKJV

…for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.  Isaiah 56:1  NKJV

The Wondrous Word of Yahweh

Yahweh inspired more than 40 men to write down His messages to us in 3 languages over a period of 1500 years.  He then moved men to collect and preserve those writings throughout history. What an amazing accomplishment! Nothing is too difficult for Yahweh, The Almighty God.

However, many people today do not know Yahweh or acknowledge His accomplishments, so they deny the accuracy of scripture. Entire books have been written hoping to undermine widespread confidence in the eternal Word of God. I have read some of these writings intended to cause a loss of faith and have been encouraged by what I learned about the history of the Bible. My post today is to encourage an informed understanding of the issues and the facts.

Even those scholars who believe some errors have crept into the Scriptures through its long history are forced to admit those changes are few and far between and do not affect the Bible's overall message. The Jewish scribes who copied the Hebrew Old Testament by hand over many centuries followed very strict procedural guidelines to insure its accuracy. A partial list of those guidelines I found in The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone follows. (Great book!)

     a.  Nothing could be written from memory. A scribe was required to copy from another scroll and pronounce each word out loud before writing it down.

     b.  If a letter touched another letter or was written incorrectly, or if there was a hole, or a tear,
or a smudge which made reading difficult the scroll was not usable.

     c.  No column was to have less than 48 nor more than 60 lines and it was to be an exact copy of the original.

     d.  An editor would review the copy within 30 days of its completion counting every letter (304,805) and every word (79,976). The middle word of each copy was checked to make sure it was the same as the middle word on the scroll being copied. 

     e.  Revisions within 30 days of completion were allowed as follows. A scribe could fix up to three mistakes on a single page. If a single letter was added or left out and not fixed within 30 days of completion the manuscript had to be buried. (see The Story of The Bible by Larry Stone.)

During the New Testament era, Jesus (God in the flesh) grew up using the Old Testament scrolls and did not complain about errors in them. In fact, Jesus and the New Testament writers quoted from 34 of the 39 Old Testament books.

In his public speaking, Jesus confirmed the accuracy of the Old Testament by referring to many portions of scripture.

In defense of monogamous marriage for a lifetime, He spoke of the creation of the first man and his wife at the beginning. He also spoke of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Lot and Lot's wife, Moses, Elijah and the widow in Zeraphath, Elisha, Naaman, David, Abiathar, Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Zechariah, Daniel, Jonah, Satan, Sodom, Gommorah, The Law and the Prophets and Psalms.  

He spoke of the people as historical figures and the places as historical places and He used the scriptures to confirm His identity and His mission.

Therefore, if we believe Jesus, we must believe what He said. He clearly endorsed the Old Testament as the inspired and prophetic Word of God. He said, "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18

In addition, the modern day discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has confirmed the remarkable accuracy of the Old Testament which was maintained by following those strict scribal guidelines. 

The New Testament has been copied so many times there are thousands of ancient manuscripts to compare to each other today which verify its accuracy as a whole. Yes, there are a few scriptures considered to be spurious by some scholars. These few verses are rejected or questioned by some scholars because they are not found in the oldest known manuscripts. The debate continues but, even if a few verses are spurious, they do not have the effect of cancelling the inspiration of God in the 99+% unquestioned portion of the New Testament. They simply reflect human error or misplaced zeal.   

For further insight see:
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/5518/Spurious-Scriptures.htm

Yahweh gave us His Word for a purpose and has preserved His Word for that same purpose. Let's look at what the Word itself tells us about that purpose.

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NLT

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 NLT


May you believe and receive eternal life. May you be fully equipped for every good work. May you have hope and be encouraged as you await the fulfillment of God's promises!  

Precious Peridot & Purest Gold Not Enough

I love rocks. I frequently bring rocks home with me when we travel.  They seem to be a personal and permanent connection for me with where I've been. Of course, colorful and unusual rocks are more attractive to me so I buy tumblestones, polished stones, geodes and gemstones. But, I've also picked up common stones from important places like the Sea of Galilee, Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem; and, from many other places.

If Israel has an abundance of anything, it's rocks. The Jews even bring them to place on the graves of loved ones because they last longer than flowers. Makes sense to me. I feel a connection with them.  

I love gemstone jewelry as well. Precious metals and jewels are great. The bigger the better! For me they represent God's secret handiwork. God filled the earth with precious metals and gemstones. They are hidden treasures available to those who are willing to pay the price to obtain them. One can either labor for them, risking life and limb, or one can pay the asking price once they've been discovered, recovered and refined to reveal their beauty and value. But it was God who created them: to Him be the glory! They are small reminders of the wondrous, beautiful things He has provided for our future life.

My appreciation of stones is not unique or rare. It's been in vogue for thousands of years. In fact, Job talks about mining the earth for metals and gemstones in the 28th chapter of his namesake book in  the Old Testament.  Let's read some of his comments from the New Living Translation. 

“People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock.They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.  (vs 1-4)

People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures."  (vs 9-11)

This is quite impressive for what we think of as primitive times. They could mine silver, refine gold, dig up iron, smelt copper, light the darkest regions of the earth, sink mine shafts, cut tunnels and dam streams to obtain hidden treasures prepared by God.

Consider their efforts and their dedication to the task, and all for earthly rewards! Now consider how God sees all this focus on the pursuit of earthly treasures while we fail to comprehend our need for something that's even more difficult to find and more precious to obtain. His wisdom and understanding!

After Job says men know where to search for earthly treasures, he continues with,  “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. (vs 12-13)  Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold." (v 19)

Job says, we don't know where to find wisdom and understanding. He says it's not an earthly product! And, if we found it, we couldn't afford it. There is nothing on earth worthy to exchange for it. Sounds hopeless, doesn't it? Looks like we might have to live without them. 

But then, Job continues his discourse,“God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found... (v 23)  And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding."  (v 28)

So, here's the bottom line! God and God Alone has Wisdom and Understanding. HE is the ALL-WISE GOD. Wisdom and Understanding reside within and emanate from Him! Thus, they can only be accessed by someone in relationship with Him-- someone becoming like Him! And this kind of relationship with a HOLY GOD  is only available to those who fear (reverence) God and forsake evil.

The invitation is open to all. Wisdom and Understanding are available. How will you respond?

Bright Eyes For God

The light (brightness) of the eyes rejoices the heart . . . Proverbs 15:30
You know how it is, when you’re in love or you have a close friend that you love, your eyes light up because of the joy in your heart when you see them and when they see the light in your eyes it brings joy to their heart as well. I know it does to mine. And God is like that too. He created us with the same desires He has. He wants our hearts to rejoice in His presence. And He wants us to have such an eager longing to be with Him that it shines in our eyes.

Because of this desire, "Jesus said . . . You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matt 22:37)

This, according to Jesus, is the greatest commandment ever given. That means it must be very important to God and to us if we want to please Him. So, let's talk about it.

Have you ever wondered how God could command us to love Him?
Isn't love an emotional response we have only limited control over?
Aren’t we simply attracted by looks, intelligence, sense of humor or pheromones? Isn't love perhaps serendipitous, just a happy accident?
Doesn’t love just sort of happen naturally?
Think about it. Would God command us to do something we aren’t able to do?
Doesn’t God know how we are– after all He made us?
Yes, He did make us! And, why did He do that? He made us because He loved us. It should; therefore, be a natural response for us to love Him because He first loved us!

Not only did He create us out of His love but He designed us with the ability to return that love ‘if we choose to’. Yes, love is a choice.

The three persons of the Godhead existed from eternity in a loving relationship. Can you even imagine what it was like before God created the universe? It’s hard for us to conceive of a time before we were around, isn’t it? What did God do before we came along? I can tell you one thing, He had a lot fewer headaches and heartaches!

God was complete in Himself. He had no needs but He was so full of love He chose to share it. And, because of this choice, He spoke the universe into existence. Everything that’s out there is out there for us. He made it seemingly endless so we wouldn’t feel like we were in a box and be claustrophobic. He made the earth large enough to provide lots of opportunity for adventure. And, when He had everything prepared that would be necessary to provide for the subjects of His love, He created Adam and Eve. And then to accommodate our esthetic needs, He planted a beautiful garden to be our home.

Adam was handmade by Jesus. He appeared in a pre-incarnate physical body, got down on His hands and knees, scooped up some clay, and with much greater skill than the greatest master sculptor who would ever live, He formed the man. Then when the time was right, He took flesh and bone material from Adam’s side and He built the woman. I’m not sure what built means here but I think it must mean that women are the best of His creation!
 
I want to emphasize that this was not an impersonal process like when He spoke the angels into existence. No, Jesus got totally involved. In fact, when He breathed life into Adam and he became conscious, Jesus was right there face to face with him. Adam came into being in perfect relationship with his Creator. (Maybe they even had a birthday party!) He immediately started getting to know God and God knew him.

The same thing was true for Eve. Jesus was in her line of sight when she opened her eyes for the very first time. She never had a moment of loneliness or confusion about who she was or where she was. Jesus was with her and He took her to Adam and blessed their union. They were both brought into existence by God because He wanted them to be with Him. And thus, mankind was ‘Creator designed’ for a loving relationship with his God.

We all know the story of what happened in that beautiful garden called Eden. We know that Satan deceived Eve and we know that Adam willfully chose to disobey the direct command of God. We know they both ate of the forbidden fruit, thus breaking the perfect fellowship they had with Jesus. But, do we understand the impact their choices had on the heart of God? I’m not at all sure we’ve given that enough thought.

The scriptures tell us that, following their disobedience, Jesus came walking through the garden looking for them just as He had every day. Don’t you think He knew they had sinned? Of course, He did. But this shows us that God remains faithful even when we are faithless. Even though He knew what they had done He still came. He loved them and wanted to be with them but they were hiding.
 
When Jesus reached their usual meeting place and found Himself alone, He called out to Adam and said, "Where are you?" Those words may have flowed from His lips, but I believe there was a much deeper question burning in His heart at that moment. Most of us are reluctant to openly acknowledge feelings of rejection. I believe in His faithful heart of hearts He was thinking, "Why have you forsaken Me?"
 
It was a question He knew He would be forced to ask of His Father someday from an old rugged cross because of their transgression. Nevertheless, out of His great love and faithfulness, He had come to be with them, but they turned away in fear and had closed their hearts to Him.

Closed hearts have been the problem ever since.  God has done everything possible to reach us. He has tugged at our hearts through the beauty of nature. He has whispered our names through the voices of loving friends. He has written us love letters through His prophets. He has demonstrated His love by sending His Son to die for us. He has spoken to us and comforted us by His Holy Spirit. He has been merciful and kind and gracious to us all the days of our lives, drawing us to Himself with cords of everlasting love. But, we have a free will and He will never force us to engage in an intimate, loving, heart to heart, relationship with Him. Still, that is what He truly wants, so He has given us His greatest commandment to continually remind us.

Jesus was very aware of the difficulty people have in obeying this commandment. Not because it’s too difficult, but because of closed hearts. In fact, He quoted Isaiah and said, 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " Matt 15:8-9

Draw near could have been translated approach. It’s the word often used to express a desire for intimate (sexual) relations. Jesus is saying these people try to lead me to believe that they want to be truly intimate with me, but it’s just talk. They have closed their hearts to Me. They always keep Me at a distance because they prefer to live by their manmade rules. What a heartbreaking situation this is for God. It’s inexpressibly painful to care deeply for someone, and to desire a heart to heart relationship with them, knowing they don’t feel the same way about you. Especially when you’ve done everything you can to show them your love. I’m sure many of us can relate to this because we have experienced that kind of rejection and pain.

Well, we’re not alone. That’s where God often finds Himself. He’s a Person with an infinite heart. He loves us and cares for us; therefore, He suffers from feelings of rejection when our hearts are far from Him. Why does He suffer? Because He knows that rules will never lead to intimacy. Intimacy means, ‘In to me you see’. That doesn’t happen by accident or overnight. It takes commitment and time. Both parties have to want it and trust each other enough to build toward it. God has been doing His part because He wants intimacy with you. Do you want intimacy with Him?

Jesus wants you, like Moses, to know His ways, His very nature, not just what He does. The problem is, most people live from their brains instead of their hearts. They  aren’t really interested in intimacy. The brain is very territorial. Its main concern is self-protection. It wants to be on guard against anything or anyone who at some point in time might be a threat; a source of problems or pain. So, people who live from their brains keep others at a safe distance. They don’t even want to be intimate with their  loved ones, much less with God. So, they stay behind their self-made protective walls trying to avoid pain, and hoping to make it through another day unscathed. If they think of God at all, they see Him as impersonal. They don’t understand His loving nature or even consider His heart of hearts.

So, Jesus reveals God’s heart. He shows us that it grieves God when we talk like we have or want to have a personal relationship with Him, but it’s just talk. He feels rejected when we perform our religious duties, but withhold our affections from Him. Our affection is what He really wants. But, when religious people don’t know God and don’t really want to, they always turn to rules. Following rules is a sure sign of a lack of intimacy with God.

We have a perfect example of this in scripture. There was a rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked, "What must I ‘do’ to gain eternal life?" He didn’t ask how to get closer to God. He just wanted something he could ‘do’ part-time to insure that his eternal destiny would be in heaven. Under questioning by Jesus, he professed to have followed all the most important rules since childhood. So, as always, Jesus went straight to the heart of the matter.
 
Jesus challenged the young man with his ultimate ‘do’! He told him, "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor and come and follow Me. That’s what you can ‘do’ to gain eternal life." 

It wouldn’t have purchased eternal life for him, nothing but the blood of Jesus can do that, but it would have shown that he really loved God. Money was his true love so he wouldn’t ‘do’ it. Instead, he went away sorrowful and left Jesus sorrowful too because He really loved him.

Let’s look at the heart of the matter. Why is God so concerned about an intimate relationship with us? I think the book called The Five Love Languages will help us understand. It says people receive love in at least 5 different ways. It might be through gifts, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation or physical touch. For example, if a loved one needs physical touch but you give gifts, it won’t make him feel loved. And acts of service just won’t touch someone who needs quality time. So, if someone doesn’t know specifically what makes you feel loved, whatever they are doing for you probably won’t be an effective way to show you they love you. Well, God’s like that too. He has certain things that make Him feel loved. He wants us to spend time getting to know Him in His Word and through His Spirit so that we know how to show Him we love Him. And, once we know how, He wants us to do it, out of love.

Speaking of love, to the church of Ephesus in Revelations, Jesus said: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent." Rev 2:2-6

When you first look at this passage you may wonder what the real problem was. I mean, these people were doing a lot of things right! So, why does He tell them to change their ways? What could have been so different about those first works that made God demand that they return to them? Take another look at the passage and notice how God described what they were doing. He said, "I know ‘your works, your labor, your patience.’ I see what ‘you’ have done." It was as if they were doing all they were doing on their own. The obvious difference between their first works and their current works is that the first works were done out of a heart of love for God. They were performed with Him; not just for Him. They were done with a desire to please Him. They were done with a joy that flowed from an intimate love relationship with God. He’s not satisfied with anything less. And we shouldn’t be either. Works righteousness is never effective, satisfying or sustainable!

So, what kind of relationship is God looking for?  Let’s look at David. God called him "a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." (Acts 13:22 from 1 Sam 13:14) He wanted an intimacy with God that few people ever seek after and He was willing to obey God’s commandments to achieve it. Listen to his intimate conversation with God.

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, (Don’t you love it when someone’s looking for you in the sanctuary? God does too!) to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied . . . and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me . . . " (Excerpts Psalm 63: 1-8)

Can you feel David’s passion for God? Can you sense his devotion? Can you see why God said David was a man ‘after My own heart’? It was because he pursued God! I want to quote a couple of passages from The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge to clarify the wonder of this relationship God longs for with us.  "We come into the world wanting to be special to someone and from the start we are disappointed . . . Can you recall a time when a significant someone in your life sat you down with the sole purpose of wanting to know your heart more deeply, fully expecting to enjoy what he found there? More people have climbed Mt. Everest than have experienced real pursuit . . . "

That last statement amazed me. I’m sure you know not many people have climbed Mt. Everest! I don’t know how that strikes you on a personal level, but I can relate to it very deeply. I want to be pursued and I pursue others. I want to get to know my friends at an intimate level and I want them to know me. I’m not satisfied with surface relationships. I realize my needs in this area and I know I’m not alone. I take after my Father in heaven. That’s exactly what He wants too. He wants us to pursue Him! He wants us to spend time with Him; just because we want to get to know Him better. This is what David did and God loved it.

God loved David's passion; and He loved David with a passion! And, God knew David intimately. Because of this, He understood and continued to love David even through his failures. God knew that because David lived from his heart he was in danger if he ever let his godly passion grow cold. So, when David got lax in his relationship with God, it was no surprise to God that he fell into the trap of looking for a new lover to satisfy his heart’s needs. Everyone turns to something to meet the needs of their heart. Not everyone will turn to human lovers, but they will turn to something to meet their heart’s needs, if they don’t stay close to God. It may be sports, romance novels, soap operas, hobbies, or even other lovers.

According to G. K. Chesterton, "Every man who goes to a brothel is looking for God!"

That’s a shocking statement, and I’m not sure that’s true of every man, but I do believe David’s affair with Bathsheba was an attempt to replace the love life He had lost with God. It doesn’t excuse his behavior and he had to repent to get back into a right relationship with God but; by God’s grace, he did, and God restored him. He returned to being a man after God’s own heart.

 In conclusion, God is a God of heart relationships and if we want to be in a satisfying relationship with Him, He demands that we love Him with our whole heart. We sing about and long for "More love . . . more power . . . more of you in my life". . . but the only way we’ll get more love and more power is to love God more. He wants us to be so enthralled with Him that our eyes are bright when we think of Him, talk about Him, and worship Him. He wants our whole heart. It’s the only thing He really wants from us. All of the busyness, the works, and the use of our spiritual gifts and natural abilities mean nothing to God apart from an intimate relationship with Him.

But, this is not a one step process. If you want to please God, you must pursue Him for a lifetime. And it’s your choice.

Bright Eyes

My Lord, My God, teach me please,

To live my life attached only to thee.

By this, I ask not You remove lesser loves,

But rather, enthrall my heart from above.

Be my Father, my Friend and my Lover,

So the wounds in my heart may fully recover.

Meet my soul’s most passionate needs

For companionship and true intimacy.

O, Holy God, my deepest heart's desire,

Fill me with love's all consuming fire.

Know me as I’ve never yet been known.

So I’ll have bright eyes for You alone.

A Matter of Perspective

As the old Yiddish saying goes, "To a worm in horseradish, the whole world is horseradish." Perspective is powerful!  Let's take a look at a couple of poems that illustrate our tendency to view things with a skewed perspective. 

The Old Oaken Bucket by Samuel Woodworth

How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,

When fond recollection presents them to view,

The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood,

And ev'ry lov'd spot which my infancy knew.

The wide spreading stream, the mill that stood near it,

The bridge and the rock where the cataract fell.

The cot of my father, the dairy house by it,

And e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well.

The old oaken bucket, the ironbound bucket,

The moss-covered bucket that hung in the well.

The moss-covered bucket I hail as a treasure,

For often at noon when returned from the field,

I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure,

The purest and sweetest that nature can yield.

How ardent I seized it with hands that were glowing,

And quick to the white pebbled bottom it fell.

Then soon with the emblem of truth overflowing,

And dripping with coolness it rose from the well.

The old oaken bucket, the ironbound bucket,

The moss-covered bucket that hung in the well.

How soon from the green mossy rim to receive it,

As poised on the curb it reclined to my lips,

Not a full flowing goblet could tempt me to leave it,

Tho' filled with the nectar that Jupiter sips.

And now far removed from the loved situation,

The tear of regret will intrusively swell.

As fancy reverts to my father's plantation,

And sighs for the bucket that hung in the well.

The old oaken bucket, the ironbound bucket,

The moss-covered bucket that hung in the well.

The Old Oaken Bucket (As revised by the Board of Health)  Anonymous

With what anguish of mind I remember my childhood,

Recalled in the light of knowledge since gained,

The malarious farm, the wet fungus-grown wildwood,

The chills then contracted that since have remained;

The scum-covered duck-pond, the pig-sty close by it,

The ditch where the sour-smelling house drainage fell,

The damp, shaded dwelling, the foul barnyard nigh it

 CBut worse than all else was that terrible well,

And the old oaken bucket, the mold-crusted bucket,

The moss-covered bucket that hung in the well.

Just think of it! Moss on the vessel that lifted

The water I drank in the days called to mind;

Ere I knew what professors and scientists gifted

In the waters of wells by analysis find;

The rotting wood-fiber, the oxide of iron,

The algae, the frog of unusual size,

The water as clear as the verses of Byron,

Are things I remember with tears in my eyes.

Oh, had I but realized in time to avoid them

The dangers that lurked in that pestilent draft

I'd have tested for organic germs and destroyed them

With potassic permanganate ere I had quaffed.

Or perchance I'd have boiled it, and afterwards strained it

Through filters of charcoal and gravel combined;

Or, after distilling, condensed and regained it

In potable form with its filth left behind.

How little I knew of the enteric fever

Which lurked in the water I ventured to drink,

But since I've become a devoted believer

In the teachings of science, I shudder to think.

And now, far removed from the scenes I'm describing,

The story of warning to others I tell,

As memory reverts to my youthful imbibing

And I gag at the thought of that terrible well,

And the old oaken bucket, the fungus-grown bucket,

In fact, the slop-bucket-- that hung in the well.

We have here an idealistic view followed by a surrealistic view. Neither is grounded in reality.

To illustrate: I once saw three paintings of the same farm. One was idealistic, another was surrealistic, and the other was realistic. The first picture had a beautiful white farmhouse, freshly painted, in perfect repair, coupled with an equally perfect red barn, and a clean and uncluttered barnyard filled with perfect animals. The second picture featured a farmhouse and a barn barely detectable behind a huge manure pile. And, the third picture featured an aged farmhouse and a weathered barn with a somewhat cluttered barnyard filled with scruffy animals and various scattered animal droppings.

Idealism and surrealism are common. Very few persons dwell in the realm of reality-- that is the arena of unadulterated truth that Jesus proclaimed "will set us free." That is truth which hasn't been distorted by misunderstood experiences or biased instructions from one source or another. No, most of us lean toward idealism or surrealism. Most of us are by nature, and therefore, by habit, either optimistic or pessimistic.

Scientists, who study the brain, tell us we were originally hardwired one way or the other. And, for many, our choices throughout life have strengthened the original wiring. We have actually developed grooves in our brains for carrying positive or negative messages. So much so, that even when we struggle to change our thinking patterns we fall into those ditches. It is only the blessed few who have had their original wiring renewed by putting on the mind of Christ and being restored by His love.

So, what do these poems illustrate?  They show that everything is affected by our perspective.

1. Our past is not simply our past, it's an interpretation based on perspective.

Children who grow up in the same homes will describe their childhood experience based, not on actual events as much as, on their own personal perspectives. A friend of mine, who visited my family with me a few of years ago, noted that my brother Tim, who is only 2 years younger than I,  seems to have a more positive view of his childhood than I do of mine. I reluctantly explained to her that at birth I was simply "another big girl" (not the son my parents hoped for) and that he entered the world as the firstborn son, which brought him a favored status in the home. And also, that when Mother died, Dad softened and raised the boys in a kinder and more generous way than he had raised my sister Charlotte and me. 

 

And that leads into a pertinent story from my childhood. Since I'm aware of the importance of perspective and I'm trying to get a clearer picture of my childhood, I recently asked my dad if he thought I was a difficult child to raise. (Not a good question unless you're looking for truth.) He first responded that he didn't see any of his children as especially difficult, but then he paused and added, "Well, there was the door slamming incident in Oregon." And, then he added that I was a nosy child, always popping up when people were trying to take pictures. There were no negative comments about my siblings (though I could have added a few) but I didn't get offended at him because I was seeking truth and I knew I needed to see things through adult eyes to help balance the immature perspective I still carried from my childhood. 

That conversation helped me, but not the way I thought it would. It helped me realize that I wasn't as "wicked" as I ended up feeling because not "everything" that happened was my fault.  I was 7or 8 years old, at the time and in anger I had slammed the screen door of my grandparent's house because I felt rejected by both my peers and my parents. The physical discipline didn't hurt nearly as bad as the responsibilty I felt for the tumultuous reaction to my actions. Finally grasping the truth about that incident has set me free. Yes, I was wrong to slam the door but door slamming is not a crime worthy of endless self-flagellation. And I was not responsible for the behavior of others. A little self-administered grace is appropriate after all these years.

What hurtful memories do you need to re-examine from an adult perspective so you can be set free from the collateral damage? 

2. Our present is colored by our perspective.

3. Our relationships are consistently affected by our perspective.

4. The way we see ourselves is a matter of perspective. (Proverbs says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.")

5. Our future prospects are limited or enhanced by our perspective.

All of life is directly affected by how we view things. That's what Jesus meant when He said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

Real freedom only comes with a Godly perspective: a spiritual outlook. The fruit of the Spirit grows in the light of the truth! Truth is not simply something you believe is right. Truth is absolute. It is God's revelation of what is right. God alone knows the truth so He's the only One who can tell it to us. His Word is the foundation for all truth. Our perspective will never be righteous until it is built on God's Word. It must always line up with the Word of God or it will lead us astray. We need God's guidance every moment!

Let's look at some examples of how perspective affects people.  First, let's review the Suffering Servant passages in Isaiah 52 and 53.

Suffering Servant

Behold, My Servant shall act wisely; He shall be magnified and lifted up and be very high. Just as many were stunned at Him, His appearance was disfigured more than any man, and His shape more than the sons of men, so shall He startle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall understand.   Isaiah 52:13-15

Who has trusted our report? And to whom has the strength of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no figure or beauty; and when we see Him, there is nothing about His appearance that pleases us. He is contemptible and considered frail by men, a Man dealing with physical and mental pain and experiencing maladies. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was thought of as vile and worthless, and we did not value Him or even give Him much thought.

But, in very fact (stated emphatically), He has taken away our sicknesses and borne our physical and mental pain; yet we considered Him plagued, punished by God, and oppressed. But He was dishonored, violated, and pierced for our rebellion, He was beat to pieces for our perversity; the correction for our soundness, health, prosperity, and friendship was upon Him, and by His wounds we are made healthy. All we like sheep have erred; we have turned, every one, to his own course of life; and the LORD has caused to fall on Him the punishment for the perversity of us all.

He was distressed and He was humiliated, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.  By coercion, He was deprived of justice, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people He was stricken.  And He was given a burial place with the ungodly, but with the wealthy at His death, because He had done nothing wrong, nor did anything false come from in His mouth.

Yet it delighted the LORD to crush Him; He has made Him weak, sick and diseased. When You make His life an offering for sin, He shall see His posterity, He shall lengthen His days, and the delight of the LORD shall succeed in His strength. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.  Isaiah 53:1-12    (I amplified this passage for clarity.)

What did the spiritually blind people see when they beheld Jesus?

An unattractive wimp. (No beauty, no figure, nothing desirable about Him.)

A frail person unworthy of a second glance. (Contemptible.)

A grief stricken loser. (Tortured, sickly, vile and worthless.)

A man suffering under the judgement of God. 

What do people with spiritual insight see when they behold Jesus?

The Beautiful Prince of Peace.

The Mighty Warrior-God who is worthy of our attention and praise.

A Compassionate Lover of our souls who is Triumphant over sin and death!

The Anointed One, Beloved of the Father, who has been exalted above all others! 

How inaccurate the world's perception of Him was then! How different it will be when He comes again and startles the nations with the open revelation of Who He IS!

Now let's review the Parable of the Landowner. Remember, we're looking at perspective.                                  

The Parable of the Landowner

AFor the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them,  'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward,  'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying,  'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said,  'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  'Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few are chosen.

How did those who came first view those who came last?

Unworthy of a day's wage. (Salvation)

How did they see themselves?

Worthy of more than what they'd agreed to. (Works Salvation)

How did they see the Master?

Unfair for not recognizing their works, they even thought He was wicked!

What did the Master see in those who came last?

Potential. Men in need of something worth doing with their lives.

How did He view the situation?         

As an opportunity to reveal His goodness to all of them.

How did He see those who had started working first?

Unfaithful to their agreement. False accusers.

Was He right? 

Of course! He is God. He corrected them, but He didn't reject them.

Let's review one more story about the effect of perspective. 

The Good Samaritan

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" So he answered and said, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  Luke 10:25-37

What did the Priest and the Levite see?

A time drain. An expense. A danger to themselves, perhaps.

How did they respond because of their perceptions?

They ignored one in great needB essentially left him for dead.

What did the good Samaritan see?

Not a wounded Jew-- but a jewel. (He saw his innate value.)

Not a burden-- but a brother in need.

Not an inconvenience-- but an eternal investment. 

How did his perception influence his behavior? 

He did what was right!  

Now let's bring this thing home. When you look at yourself what do you see?

What talents and abilities are you neglecting because you don't believe in yourself?

What opportunities are you stifling because you just can't see them working out?

What relationships are you neglecting or avoiding or destroying because of doubts and fears?

When you look at others what do you see?

 Problems or promises?

 Foes of friends?

 Mortals or Immortals?

When you look at God what do you see?

Someone Fearsome or Awesome?

Someone Punitive or Loving?

A Judge or a Father?

Whatever your present viewpoint, it can be altered and enhanced through the Word and by the Spirit of God.  Whatever your present need, Jesus wants to meet it.

The Lord spoke to me a few years ago and said, "No longer say you can't do what I say you can do." Those words changed my perspective and my behavior. God is no respecter of persons. He wants you to know this too. If you will listen and respond to His voice it will change you. Allow Him to change your perspective and He will change your life!